Bingham Falls

Stowe Vermont

Description

Leave Stowe along route 108 and head towards the stunning and steep Smugglers Notch to visit a very accessible and stunning mountain waterfall. The entrance to the falls are well past the restaurants, shops, and resorts of the extended Stowe area. When one comes to a slight clearing along each side of the road, often occupied by many parked cars, you know you have arrived. If you end up at the ski resort, well you have gone too far and it is best to turn around. Every time I have gone to Stowe, I have wondered what all those people were doing there at that clearing. Well thanks to Google Maps I finally discovered exactly why – this is Bingham Falls.

Located a short .5km from the car park, the river has carved a series of falls and pools into the rocky ledges. The latter part of the hike is very steep and can be wet and slippery so proper hiking gear (boots and walking sticks are highly recommended.) It is a fun area to explore from the upper river, through the ledges and down to the pools at the bottom of the last set of falls. More information about the falls can be found here.

History

The Stowe area starting attracting tourists in the 1800’s, it was largely through the efforts of William H. H. Bingham, a lawyer, politician and entrepreneur who convinced the town of Stowe that the beauty would be a magnet for a burgeoning tourist trade. He convinced the town to build a Toll Road up Mount Mansfield where he then built an inn known as the Summit House.

The Hike

The hike from the road is really quite reasonable, all the way to the top of the falls. The hike does descend down the hill but does so at a very reasonable rate and the path is wide and clear. When you arrive at the top of the falls, you can explore the area as the river descends through the gorge. There are several good vantage points, as shown in the pictures below, but be careful as there are some very steep drop offs so keep your children, your pets, and yourself well back from the edge of the river. Here are some views from the top.

From a photographic perspective, the weather that day was alternating between bright sunshine, and cloudy/rainy conditions. The lighting was changing from cloudy day or intense sunlight. I had to wait, therefore, for the right conditions on each shot. I also used a tripod for the longer exposures, and a polarizing filter to intensify the colors and reduce reflections on the water surface.

On the way down to the lower falls, the path is steeper, especially at the bottom part to reach the final view of the falls (as shown above). On the way down I spied this lovely view of an intermediate cascade.

The Mill Trail

Reaching the falls after some rather steep, and slippery trails, you are rewarded with a lovely view of the falls as they plunge into a cool green pool of water before racing on. I also noticed many hikers on the opposite side of the stream and couldn’t figure out how they managed to get there since, while the stream gap seemed reasonable, the rocks on either side were extremely slippery and to steep to navigate.

This mystery stayed with me during my journey, and again some on-line research revealed another trail on the opposite side of the river, The Mill Trail. So named for the wood mill close to the entrance of the trail, the Mill Trail traces the uphill climb of the river towards the falls and beyond. Detailed information about the trail can be found here. The Mill was established in the late 1800’s to provide energy for the construction of oak barrels and tubs. While the mill no longer exists there are vestiges of the settlements of the village and buildings in the area. One of my favorite fall shots was taken here over the river.

Further up-hill the trail continues to the falls themselves. The trail is very well maintained, flat and with a reasonable grade upwards through hardwood forests. After about a 2km hike you start to hear the river and falls below and as you proceed you are rewarded with multiple views of the falls themselves.

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